A woman who was the brains behind three successful businesses lost everything when her marriage collapsed. Her husband went to court to try to avoid paying maintenance‚ appealing when he lost‚ but now the High Court in Grahamstown has ordered him to pay her R14 000 a month. The couple‚ who cannot be named‚ met when the woman gave work to her future husband's failing business in Grahamstown. Giving judgment in the appeal case‚ Judge Clive Plasket said the two fell in love‚ and‚ with her business management skills and his building ability‚ decided to start their own business. The business and two others they launched succeeded‚ but after a decade the fairy tale began to fall apart when her husband's two sons from his previous marriage moved in with them. Said Plasket: “(They) began to argue‚ and when (the wife) told (her husband) that they needed to work on their relationship‚ his attitude was that if she was dissatisfied she should leave. In November 2007‚ she did precisely that.” The women found herself without a home and cut off from her businesses. She bought a coffee shop but three back operations left her unable to support herself. Awarding R14 000 monthly maintenance in the initial divorce case‚ Judge Elna Revelas said: “The fact which weighed most with me ... is (the woman’s) financial contribution to (her husband’s) business.” ..